


Pieces of the Puzzle

by FrozenMemories



Category: CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mention of Past Abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-11
Updated: 2020-01-11
Packaged: 2021-02-27 11:55:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,170
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22216654
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FrozenMemories/pseuds/FrozenMemories
Summary: What it takes for Nick to open up about the babysitter
Relationships: Greg Sanders/Nick Stokes
Comments: 6
Kudos: 36





	Pieces of the Puzzle

**Author's Note:**

  * For [panchostokes (badwolfrun)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/badwolfrun/gifts).



> For MK and the anon(s) discussing how Nick came to tell Greg about what happened to him as a kid. I hope it's alright that I took that idea and ran with it.

Greg wasn’t used to waking up with Nick still sleeping beside him. To be fair, he still wasn’t used to waking next to Nick, period. Not that he hadn’t stayed over at Nick’s more nights than not over the past couple of months, but somehow he still felt a little surreal about it.

He’d been fantasizing about it so much, for years in fact, never thinking he’d have a chance with him until _that_ day and _that_ kiss (and a lot of awkwardness and apologies and silences and tentative smiles that had finally led to _that_ night.)

He let his fingers walk across the small distance between them, grazing the mattress and then gently crawling up Nick’s arm. Nick was a cuddler when falling asleep, always raining kisses along his neck and face and every part of Greg he could reach, but sleep was often a restless affair for him. He’d toss and turn and roll away from Greg to end up on the far side of the bed.

Greg didn’t mind. He’d been used to sleeping alone and taking up space anyway and Nick would usually be the first to wake and roll right back into his personal space, waking Greg with mumbled kisses. He had no reason to assume that the same treatment would not be appreciated by his boyfriend in return, and indeed Nick hummed his sleepy approval when Greg dropped a kiss to his shoulder and pressed into his side.

He continued to let his fingers ghost across Nick’s skin, down his arms and over his chest, and smiled when Nick turned his face, eyes still tightly closed, into Greg’s hair. A soft sigh escaped him as Greg’s fingers drew circles on his chest and abs, tickling at the tiny hairs.

In a more daring move Greg flattened his hand and began roaming with more purpose, covering the entire area of Nick’s lower abs until he touched the fabric of his boxers. Nick stirred but gave no sign of being awake.

Greg smirked as a plan to properly wake Nick up formed in his mind. Slipping beneath the waistband he quickly found half-hard proof that Nick was at least partially waking. He raised himself up on an elbow and leaned over Nick’s face, intending to kiss him awake as his hand closed around Nick’s growing erection.

The moment he lowered himself Nick’s eyes flew open in a panicked expression and he pushed Greg off him with force.

Stunned, Greg scrambled into a sitting position.

Nick was panting heavily.

“Fuck,” he growled as he slowly came to his senses and realized what he’d just done. “You can’t,” he swallowed, “you can’t just do that!” Greg nodded, confused. “I’m sorry,” he said, not really sure what exactly he was apologizing for.

Swinging his legs over the edge of the bed Nick leaned forward for a moment, taking a few loud and deep breaths before pushing up and walking to the window to peer out into the early morning darkness.

Greg sat still on the bed, hurt by his boyfriend’s rejection. He watched for a sign from Nick, any hint at what to say or do, but nothing came. Nick just continued to stare out of the window, arms wrapped tightly around himself.

“Nick?” Greg asked tentatively, torn between giving Nick space and his need to reach out.

Several heartbeats passed before Nick cleared his throat and finally turned around. Greg couldn’t make out his expression in the darkness of the room.

“You just, uh, woke me from a bad… dream.” Nick’s tone and hesitation didn’t convince Greg and he pondered for a moment if it was wise to comment on it.

“Didn’t sound that way when I first touched you,” he eventually said.

The sharp intake of breath told him that Nick hadn’t been prepared for those words. Nick’s hands flew to his face and wiped at it in a tired gesture.

“You know, you can just talk to me,” Greg pressed, aware of how risky pushing Nick was.

“There’s nothin’ to talk about, man,” Nick grumbled as he flopped back down to sit at the foot of the bed, “You just caught me off guard, is all.”

“Uh huh,” Greg hummed in a tone that told Nick clearly how unconvinced he was.

When Nick stayed quiet and didn’t move Greg crawled down toward him and sat on the edge of the bed beside him.

He let his arm brush Nick’s but didn’t reach out or aim for conversation. He’d just stubbornly keep Nick company until he’d be ready to share.

To his surprise it took less than a few minutes.

“I’m sorry, G,” he began quietly, his voice just a hair’s breadths from cracking, “You didn’t do anything wrong. You didn’t know.”

Greg nudged the knuckles of his fingers against the back of Nick’s hand, probingly, and a weight lifted off his shoulders when Nick’s fingers responded by tangling with his own.

“I still don’t know,” he murmured gently and watched as Nick ran his left hand through his hair until it scratched at the back of his neck.

Nick shook his head.

Sighed.

Became impossibly still.

Greg’s thumb caressed the back of Nick’s hand, offering silent comfort.

And then Nick’s voice broke their quiet reverie.

“Something happened to me, many, many years ago.” Greg’s heart skipped several beats as his mind ran ahead of him. He felt the weight of Nick’s words before he heard them spoken, as if he already knew what he was going to say.

“She was supposed to watch me, I was nine and…” he trailed off and all that Greg could do was squeezing his hand a little tighter.

“She’s the reason I sometimes get… weird… when we…” Greg swallowed silently as the pieces of the puzzle fell into place. He’d never thought to ask, he’d just figured Nick was a little prudish due to his conservative upbringing.

“Anyway, I don’t respond well to being touched when I don’t see it coming,” Nick continued, in a voice a little firmer than before.

“I’m sorry,” Greg provided almost soundlessly.

A thousand thoughts and questions accumulated in his brain but he refrained from letting them out. Maybe one day Nick would be ready to fill in the blanks but for now he’d have to do with what little Nick had been able to offer.

“Not your fault,” Nick said and sighed again, “But now you know.”

“Thanks for trusting me with it,” Greg told him honestly, because that was what it came down to after all. Nick just nodded, eyes trained on their joined hands.

“Nick?” Greg asked after another stretch of thoughtful silence, “Can I hug you?”

Nick huffed out a surprised chuckle, a sign that the mood was shifting in the right direction.

“Sure thing, G. I can always do with your hugs.”

The smile on his face was genuine when he looked at Greg and let go of his hand so they could wrap their arms tightly around each other.


End file.
